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GAY DOHA TRAVEL GUI
For ee real time breakg news alerts sent straight to your box sign up to our breakg news emailsSign up to our ee breakg news emailsDegree-ted, bi-lgual and wh a well-tablished reer at one of the untry’s leadg pani, Hamad is, to all appearanc, the very epome of morn-day, outward-lookg he harbours a secret, one which he says he has no choice but to keep hidn at all tim; Hamad is gay – a untry where homosexualy is illegal.
A nservative, relig, thorarian state which appli Sharia law, theoretilly Qatar uld apply the ath penalty for homosexualy, although no such punishment has been is one of almost 70 untri intified worldwi by the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn (ILGA), which crimalis nsensual same-sex activy. But one voice has been nspicuoly quiet – that of lol gay Inpennt has spoken to several lol LGBT+ people about their day-to-day liv, about existg a society where their sexualy is not only a crime, but also clash agast wily-held societal and relig beliefs.
Their homosexualy is seen as somethg worse than a mere transgrsn agast the law; is a tell of an anx existence, one domated by the need to keep somethg as natural as their sexualy hidn for fear of shamg, reprisal, sexual asslt or imprisonment om a batn of fay members, iends, work lleagu and, ultimately, the speak of an unjtns that se homosexualy perceived as somethg “worse” than other societal transgrsns cludg drkg alhol, or adultery. Some rail agast the “dacy” and “hypocrisy” of the lg ele for urtg leadg fashn brands or celebri who are gay, yet remas illegal at home.
GAY MAN 'HUNTED' BY QATAR POLICE AND GANG-RAPED HOTEL ROOM AHEAD OF WORLD CUP
“All fancially privileged people here love to buy om ‘gay brands’. They are brought to life by the gays, ” says Hamad. Society has tght that we should not accept ourselv as beg gay bee is abnormal to human nature‘Jassim', an LGBT+ Qatari“I look at people who e here to Qatar as if they are wdow drsg, ” says Jassim, another LGBT+ Qatari.
“Society has tght that we should not accept ourselv as beg gay bee is abnormal to human nature, ” he says. We learnt Islamic class school about the nsequenc of beg gay based on Sharia law.
”Those nsequenc even extend beyond the here and now, he says, as they were tght that gay people would “get the worst plac hell” for their behavur while alive. ”Those people The Inpennt have spoken to were unanimo claimg there is no such thg as a gay muny wh Qatar, more a llectn of dividuals who closely guard their secret for safety reasons. I n’t exprs myself any way at all ‘Hamad’, a gay QatariDatg apps – Grdr and Tr are accsible – but appear to have only ma life more ght.